What She Doesn't Show
by LoonRider
Summary: Doc doesn't often see Luka's vulnerable side, but he still wants to help her when he can.


**Every now and then I promise myself I won't do any one-shots until a new chapter of one of my ongoing fics is up and now that time has come so here have a one-shot about two Gokaigers I haven't written yet! **

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Carelessness wasn't like him. His crewmates had enough of that to more than make up his share, so Doc was usually the caretaker who made sure none of them were worse off for it. As such, it was with a start that he jolted up from bed to the realization that he hadn't put the leftovers from dinner away. Marvelous would kill him if the Galleon ended up with rats (the conundrum of how the rodents would manage to get upwards of a hundred feet into the air to reach the ship didn't really occur to him).

As he dashed past the other cabins and took a sharp turn to get into the galley, he didn't think he could _really_ be blamed for forgetting. It was rare for there to be any leftovers, so it wasn't something he usually worried about. He'd left the chicken wings and potatoes on the galley counter to cool down, and now he snapped the containers' lids on and stashed them in the fridge. Most likely they'd be gone before lunch the next day, sacrificed as a snack to the Gokaigers' ever-hungry captain.

Food thus saved from being wasted, he left the galley at a more leisurely pace, and only then took a moment to glance over the emptiness of the main quarters.

Except it wasn't empty. What she was doing there he couldn't say, but Luka was stretched out on the couch, using her left arm for a pillow with her right hanging off the edge and almost brushing the floor. He could have sworn she'd gone to her cabin when the rest of them had, but it wasn't unusual for one or more of them to wander when sleep eluded them.

Upon drawing closer, Doc frowned at the lack of a blanket to cover her. "Really, Luka... you're gonna catch a cold like that..." The mutter was something he'd never have said if he weren't sure she was sleeping. He retrieved a blanket from one of the storage chests before returning to the couch and carefully draping it over his crewmate, being careful to tuck it over her legs.

He crouched to grab her right hand and gently lift it to tuck under the blanket as well, but Luka's fingers snapped closed around his. He jolted back, biting down a yelp, sure she was about to punch him for touching her, but no punishment came. Her eyes were still closed, and now that he looked, they were squeezed shut, her usually smooth face tight with distressed lines, and her breathing was just slightly quicker than it should have been in sleep. "Luka...?"

Her grip on his hand tightened back to painful levels, and he bit down another yelp. When neither the hold nor her expression relaxed, he frowned. Was she having a nightmare? Should he wake her up, or...?

Doc glanced down at their hands, hers still clutching his in a death-grip, and he got an idea. What possessed him to try it, he didn't know, but he moved his free hand over hers and squeezed. "Luka, it's okay." He spoke in a whisper, no louder than he had before, but this time directly to her. "You're safe."

For a few seconds, nothing changed, but then her expression smoothed out, her breathing rate lowered, and her grip loosened enough to let blood back into his fingers, though she didn't release him completely. He smiled, adjusted his hand so that he was holding hers with both of his, and gave another gentle squeeze. "It's okay." She never talked about what she was afraid of. Despite the trust and the bond that was between every member of the crew, there were things they all kept close to their hearts. Still, a moment like this reminded him of one of the many reasons they'd all come together in the first place.

Luka woke to a rather obnoxious brightness, and it took her at least ten seconds' groaning before she remembered she'd gone up to the main quarters after finding no rest in her cabin. The down side of such a decision was the greater number of windows.

It took three seconds more for her to register the comfort of the blanket tucked around her, over all except her right arm, but that was warmed by the hands nesting hers and the head of blonde hair rested on the couch edge next to her forearm. Doc.

She didn't remember the nightmares that had troubled her the night before. Vague images of a sky full of Zangyack ships and a rainy night with an enemy she couldn't see, let alone save her sister from. She did remember a voice, though, telling her things were okay, and the way her sleep had come easier after that.

Gently, she pulled her hand out from between his and set it on top instead. He'd slept there for at least half the night. "Thanks, Doc." The whisper wasn't nearly enough to wake him, and she sat up slowly, supporting herself on her left elbow to lean closer to him. Only a few inches separated her face from his. She smiled.

"_Good morning_!"

The speed at which Doc bolted upright nearly gave both of them concussions.

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More fluff! Yeah okay so I ship these two a bit, though honestly I really like exploring most of the relationships between the Gokaigers. Hope you all enjoyed!


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